PEO or ASO: Professional Employer Organizations vs Administrative Service Organizations

As an entrepreneur, you may often find yourself doing things that you never wanted to do. You want to focus on your business, however, “employee business” keeps getting in the way. Most companies find that by offloading some of this busy work it allows them far more time to spend on increasing revenue allowing their business to fare better in the long run. Unlike outsourced payroll, both the PEO and ASO offer additional services to relieve you from administrative work, however deciding which way to go can be a challenging process.

The ASO provides administrative services for your organization such as processing payroll, performing direct deposits, and filing payroll taxes. Like outsourced payroll, the filing is under you federal employer’s ID number (FEIN).

However, unlike outsourced payroll, the ASO will provide assistance with questions concerning compliance and legal concerns, access to insurance, worker’s comp, and medical and dental benefits. These offerings and costs are based on your employee base and employment risks associated with them remaining in your organization. The ASO provides the small business employer, “employment related” relief for businesses with 50 or more employees.

PEO’s offers similar services to the ASO, however, the offering is actually more comprehensive. Unlike ASOs, PEOs take on a level of shared risk with your business. Because of this risk, the Professional employers organization will assume responsibility for employment, government compliance regarding issues such as new hire state reporting, filing and paying taxes to the proper entities, unemployment claims administration, and worker’s comp issues. PEO’s also provide access to pooled employee medical, dental, and other related healthcare plans. This pooling ideally provides smaller future cost increases to your business. As you know, one significant claim can considerably increase your fees; the PEO can absorb these costs against a larger company base. Traditionally, the PEO contract states that all services are accomplished and performed by the PEO using their FEIN, a key difference from the ASO. Small business owners may believe they are giving up control to the PEO, however, after reviewing the PEO agreement, the responsibilities of the employer and that of the PEO can easily be defined. For example, the small business owner will continue to make hire, fire, and salary decisions yet can take advantage of risk transferrence on to the PEO.

PEOs are excellent for companies having 1 – 50 employees or for those groups that have many small pockets of employees across the United States. That being said, there are still many companies that have much larger employee counts that derive and enjoy great benefits from PEO’s.

Deciding whether to go with a PEO or an ASO from an outsourced payroll model is truly up to the individual employer. A rule of thumb is to take into effect employee count when making your decision. The bottom line is that you are in control no matter which direction you pursue. First, identify which features would free up your time the most, the Peo services Selection Tool by PEOcompare.com is a great place to start. Second, contact fellow small business owners and ask for feedback on their opinion on PEO’s vs ASO’s. Either way you decide to go, this type of service will almost always benefit your company in the long run.

The main goal or purpose of these rehabilitation centres is to help the person to accept the reality that he/she has an addiction problem. These centres help the person to recognize that whatever the problems he/she was having in life will be solved through other means. In this article we will discuss different purposes and services of centres alcohol drug treatment. The main services or facilities are as follows:

1. Firstly, these rehabilitation centres give substance abuse treatment to the addicted folks. This treatment helps the person to detoxify his/her system and wean him/her off the various medication and alcohol.

2. Furthermore, these rehabilitation centres give interventionists to the drug addicted folks. They will intervene or facilitate the person to forestall from falling into temptation with the assistance of some accountability.

3. Moreover, these centres supply or provide counsellors to the addicted folks and these counsellors facilitate the person in numerous matters like divorce, loss of employment, social rejection, failure of educational career and low esteem problems.

4. Lastly, these centres supply numerous arrangements for the addicted folks called sober living homes. These homes are operated by numerous non-profit organizations. Alcohol and drugs are prohibited in these special homes.

Furthermore, there are very significant and important principles that person should keep in mind when his/her loved one gets admitted into the centres of cocaine addiction treatment. First and foremost principle is that person should take care of his/herself. Addicted person will need his/her strength and support. Secondly, person should not be a martyr. Also person remember that loading on guilt and shame is not helpful for the recovery of addicted person.

Now the question arises that how these drug rehabilitation Chicago helps the addicted person. Many rehabilitation centres in Chicago, embrace shut friends and relations within the alcoholic’s struggle to recovery. Person should be able to learn strategies of handling the problems of drugs has raised and ways in which to relate to the drugs once he or she has came back home.
On the whole after discussing the role of drug rehabilitation Chicago it is easy to conclude that these rehabilitation centres offer many facilities and services for the drug addictive people. Many people have negative and wrong misperceptions regarding these rehabilitation centres. But these centres play a very important and significant role in order to bring the addicted person on the right path or way. So any person who is addicted his/her loved ones and family members should bring him/her to these centres for the proper guidance.

There are a number of organizations that provide volunteer travel services. These volunteer service organizations could be for profit and not for profit. There is no big difference between the two, unless you live in the USA where your trip could be tax deductable. Most of the organizations provide you with somewhere to work, a school, hospital, or orphanage; and somewhere to stay: a group home, hostel, hotel and a home stay. They arrange everything for you and offer you full support during your stay in the host country. Other organizations offer transport to and from the project location, while some just offer you a place to work while you organize where you will stay. Depending on where you want to go and how much money you have there is a huge list of volunteer travel organizations to choose from. As the industry is fairy new there are no rules or guidelines that govern these organizations in their new industry.

There is also no umbrella body in which these organizations fall under whereby you can check an organization’s credibility or also to complain to. When you are planning your volunteer abroad trip here are a list of volunteer abroad organizations to use:

Volunteer Capital Centre

Volunteer Capital Centre (VCC) is an organization that is based in the UK. They provide quality and affordable volunteer abroad work programs in third world countries. The volunteers will be placed in nonprofit organizations, community based organizations, faith based organizations, and government agencies. They make the process of making volunteering in third world countries a safe and comfortable as possible procedure. They provide their volunteer programs in Africa.

Cross Cultural Solutions

Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS) is an international not-for-profit volunteer organization offering short term programs in 12 different countries and 20 different sites ranging from 1 to 12 weeks. CCS is a recognized leader in the field of international volunteering and work with sustainable community initiatives abroad. It is based in USA.

Amizade

Amizade Places individuals and groups with community projects in ten countries, from Australia and Brazil to Tanzania and the United States. Most service trips are short (about three weeks) but both alternative breaks for college students and long-term projects can be arranged. Volunteers pay for all of their expenses and a percentage of the cost of the project on which they will volunteer. The organization is based in Australia.

Abroader view

A Broader View Volunteers is a 501(c)(3) based non-profit organization based in Pennsylvania. With a love for humankind, and a motivated spirit to help others, A Broader View was created on the belief that one person can make a difference in the lives of others. Our US office is operated by an enthusiastic staff with almost 20 years combined travel and hospitality experience.

BUNAC

BUNAC offers a range of exciting summer camp, work abroad and volunteer abroad programmes. Established in 1962, BUNAC is a non-profit work and travel expert and has been helping young people work and volunteer abroad for 48 years. Popular BUNAC destinations include: USA, Canada, New Zealand, Ghana, Australia, Britain, China, South Africa and many more.

Students Partnership Worldwide

This British organization runs four- to nine-month volunteer programs in India, Nepal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. All volunteers receive intensive training (up to six weeks) before working together in teams in rural communities, raising awareness of important health and environmental issues. Participants must be aged 18 to 28 years, and pay fees for each program; SPW offers fundraising advice. The basic cost of a placement ranges from £2900 to £3300, including air fare.

Volunteer Abroad Accommodation
Accommodation, where to stay, makes or breaks a good holiday or stay in a foreign place. Travelers who rush into picking a place to stay normally end up regretting because of not choosing carefully. As an international volunteer going abroad s/he should plan on where they will stay. On choosing on where to stay the volunteer should look into the meals, if they are shared or single rooms, price, services like laundry, WIFI connection, and excursions. International volunteers should look carefully at these factors when choosing a place to stay. The various types of accommodation available are homestays, hostels, hotels, group homes, the project location, couchsurfing, and home exchanges. Each of these options have their advantages and their disadvantages. These places offer:

Hotels/ Motels

These are the most comfortable but most expensive places to stay in. Hotels are great as they are a home away from home; the staff makes the volunteer as comfortable as possible. The services offered vary from hotel to hotel. Most hotels are ranked from 2 stars to 5 stars, 5 stars hotels are high end hotel and are very luxurious while 2 stars are not as fancy as 5 star ones. Many hotels have websites that show their rooms and the services they offer to help travelers have a glimpse of what to expect. Budget hotels and motels offer basic services as opposed to luxurious hotels. Hotels are a great option if the volunteers are going to stay for a short period of time, need privacy, new to a country and need a bit of pampering or reminded of home.

Hostels

Hostels are a common option to backpackers, round the world travelers, gap years, international volunteers and students. Typical hostels are made of single, double, and dorm rooms. The dorm rooms have about 6 bunk beds; the beds normally have a heavy blanket with optional sheets. There is a communal shower, while those who choose private rooms have private showers. Some hostels provide laundry services, WIFI, free breakfast and some have a community kitchen. Most hostels are locked during the day so that they can be cleaned. In the evening some hostels offer social settings, with a bar which serves cheap drinks. The hostels are used to travelers and provide needs that suit travelers. Some hostels dont have curfews but some do. They are a great place to meet other travelers and travel with them. Generally hostels are the cheapest form of accommodation travelers can get but they lack privacy as the travel may share the dorm room with 10 other international volunteers. Some hostels are gender specific and they are for girls only or boys only.

Group Homes

These are normally provided by the volunteer service companies. These are homes that are in the host country whereby all the volunteers will be staying. They are normally single and double rooms. They have a caretaker and chef who will help the volunteers for all their needs. Three meals are provided and they are served at a certain time. Volunteer group homes have someone who will do their laundry in some occasion they provide transportation to and fro the project location. Some homes provide orientation classes to help the volunteer to learn about the host country, the language and currency. The price of group homes vary with the volunteer service organization as the price is included with the volunteer program. They are safe, secure and are great for first time travelers.

Renting property

These are made available by the volunteers themselves. The property could be house, apartment, flats and townhouses. With this option the volunteers looks for a place to stay and buys furniture for themselves. The apartments are a great option if the volunteer is going to stay for a long period of time. There are great deals out there where by a volunteer could commit themselves for two to three months to paying rent in that place. Renting rules and regulations depend on the landlord/lady and the city. These are good especially if the volunteers are in a group whereby they can save a lot of money by renting their own homes. Older volunteers, boomers, prefer this kind of setting whereby they are able to be comfortable and some could even buy a car.

Others

Other options are available to international volunteers but are not too common. One way is through couch surfing. Couch surfing is whereby the volunteer stay in a persons home and they buy food for a couple of days. There is a network of homes that offer couchsurfing opportunities. This is one of the cheapest ways of traveling as its free. There are rules that go with couchsurfing; the volunteer should know them. Another option is home exchanges whereby the volunteer goes to live in another persons home while the owners are on holiday or are traveling. The volunteers take care of the house and forward mail to the owners.

In a business setting, being organized makes a world of difference. Organization not only helps in common tasks such as meeting deadlines, retrieving information quickly for an appointment, or keeping your desk pile free for your client who is stopping by- it makes you a trusted business professional. Clients, vendors, customers, employees, and others will be able to rely on you to be on time for a meeting, pay bills on time, follow through, keep your word, manage a project well, and store records or papers without losing them. For me, it is crucial to practice what I preach. How can I tell clients to organize all day, if I don’t keep my business and home organized? And, many ask me how I stay organized. However, I don’t stay organized for others; I maintain organization because it saves me a ton of time and prevents wasting money by overbuying. The efficiency and productivity from being organized is priceless.

Typical desks and offices we organized are filled with:

Mounds of paper.
CDs, memory sticks and business cards scattered all over
Overstuffed and outdated files
Post-its and scraps of paper tacked to the wall or bulletin board.
Broken or unused computer /office equipment
A shredder buried under paper
An overflowing garbage can
Junk drawers filled with who knows what
Bookshelves full of outdated computer software and college textbooks

If your office needs some organizing, we’re here to help.

Your office is where you spend most of your time, working to make the most of your salary, to pay for most of the things in your life. An office is for working- getting things done. So don’t we want to be Focused. Efficient. Creative. Productive. Energized . Excited . and Inspired. when working? Look at what office clutter is robbing you of. Why put off making your office the best environment and productivity center ever? Now’s the time to organize. The benefits are numerous and you’ll be glad you did.

Here’s some office organizing tips to get your office back on track.

Organize your space
Designate one file folder, one pad of paper, or one Word document in the computer to keep all passwords and usernames organized. Of course, disguise or hide it, if you need to.

Keep your filing system simple. Only file permanent records and records used for taxes. If you don’t have a lot of time to file, just use twelve folders with the twelve months on them. File papers by the month. That’s truly the simplest method.

Get a large garbage bin and an expensive ( or more) shredder. The cheap ones break, always jam, overheat, or are super slow. It’s worth the investment. Don’t forget to get a second garbage can designated for recycling.

Set an audible computer reminder everyday at the same time. Take 5-10 minutes to listen to it and act on it, by putting things away, throwing paper out, and filing. If you only follow or do one of these tips, this would be the best one, by far!

Every time you pick up a new piece of paper, ask yourself, “What’s the next action step required for this paper?” – is it to do, to call, to fax, to email, to research, to read etc. Take your five most common action steps, label trays or boxes with that action word, and start to place paper in them DAILY

Containerize and label all the small things- CDs, memory sticks, business cards, post its, pads of paper, etc.

Use drawer organizers in every drawer so loose change, paper clips, and erasers don’t get out of hand.

Use plastic-colored envelopes, which you can buy at any office store, to hold different paper groups (i.e., coupons, store cards, extra credit cards, stamps and return address labels, etc.) Loose paper floats around and gets lost on desk tops and in drawers.

In today’s economy, there’s no question getting organized will help your business prioritize and make it through lean profits. When we’re focused with goals and prepared to meet them, no bad economy will bring us down. Here are some tips to help you streamline your office expenses and organize your space:

Streamline your office expenses
Read and dissect your monthly Profit & Loss statements. Make sure you’re aware of how much money you’re spending on different areas of your business. If you don’t understand how to read it, ask your financial adviser to walk you through it.

Cut out what really isn’t necessary or what you can do yourself in tough financial times. Perhaps bring more lunches and less catering and eating out.

Look for talented family or friends that could do the tasks you currently have to outsource and spend money on. Be creative where you could cut corners.